Ben Affleck is probably done with the internet, but the internet is not done with him. Days after photos emerged of the actor hanging out on a Hawaii beach with his Triple Frontier co-stars, people are still talking about that weird back tattoo.
The Daily Show host Trevor Noah even asked Affleck’s longtime friend Matt Damon about the tattoo on Wednesday. Damon said he had seen the tattoo in real life, basically confirming that the tattoo is real. Damon also defended Affleck’s decision.
“I don’t believe a friend would allow a friend to get a back tattoo of a colorful dragon,” Noah told Damon.
“It’s not one man’s job to tell another what he can do to his back,” Damon replied. “I support him in all of his artistic expressions.”
If you’re still catching up, Affleck got the colorful tattoo, which appears to show a phoenix rising out of the ashes, more than two years ago. But he claimed that it was “fake for a movie” in an interview with Mario Lopez in 2016. Since it’s 2018, and he still has the tattoo, we’re assuming that it’s very real.
The back tat has become one of the internet’s favorite memes this week.
Ben Affleck’s back tattoo looks like it was ALSO directed by Zack Snyder pic.twitter.com/Nz3wK0bNZ7
— Chase Mitchell (@ChaseMit) March 19, 2018
The most popular paparazzi photo from the beach day (shown in the tweet above) shows the tattoo in full detail. Another photo being widely shared captures Affleck staring at the ocean and apparently contemplating something.
“This is the most Big Mood picture ever taken,” writer Jason Concepcion declared, referencing another popular meme.
https://twitter.com/netw3rk/status/976676825832157185
People seemed to relate to the Big Mood that Affleck is projecting.
https://twitter.com/shamblebot/status/976883037752516610
https://twitter.com/apawcalypsemeow/status/976889016745259008
https://twitter.com/Ebo_AA/status/976677567901118465
just out of the shower 7am on a monday morning https://t.co/cqX1D9STBS
— dan (@DannyAston1) March 22, 2018
Naturally, there were also several Batman references.
He’s officially living The Dark Knight Returns https://t.co/ViIiC5zqYH
— Billy Gomila (@BillyGomila) March 22, 2018
Not the Batman we need . . . but, probably the Batman we deserve. https://t.co/vS4Zubr53C
— M. Galaxy Parker (@BirminghamBuskr) March 22, 2018
And nods to his other film roles.
https://twitter.com/snavetrebor/status/976677102564110336
https://twitter.com/wordsonfilms/status/976722992972447744
Affleck has yet to publicly comment on the tattoo.
